John Hawkes 'not playing The Governor on The Walking Dead'

John Hawkes will not be appearing on AMC's The Walking Dead, it has been confirmed.

In a recent interview with MovieWeb, Dawn of the Dead actor and make-up artist Tom Savini claimed that Martha Marcy May Marlene star Hawkes was in line to play The Governor, a popular character from the Walking Dead comic series.

"I never heard of John Hawkes," said Savini. "Apparently he was up for an Academy Award. He was up for something called Winter's Bone. That's whom they are going after for The Governor."

However, the actor's publicist later told The Wrap: "John is NOT appearing on The Walking Dead."

Savini had also suggested that he himself should play the Governor, citing his resemblance to the comic book character.

"Everyone I talk to, the people that read the graphic novels...They've all said that I would be the perfect Governor," he argued. "Because he is tough and brutal. And... I look just like the graphic depiction of him!"

It was recently rumoured that True Blood actress Rutina Wesley had been cast as Michonne, another fan favourite character, on The Walking Dead.

Series creator Robert Kirkman later refuted the rumour, insisting that Michonne's television appearance was "not confirmed".

The Walking Dead returns to AMC in the US on February 12. The show resumes on FX in the UK on February 17.

> Walking Dead execs: 'New episodes accelerate the storytelling'

Watch a promo for the return of The Walking Dead below: